New Report Suggests Samsung Galaxy S8 Selling 20% Slower Than S7

In the smartphone world and the hype machine that drives it, sometimes it is far too easy to get hung up on the next big thing and forget all about what we have today.

While the iPhone 8 is undoubtedly the hot topic right now, the current flagship device of choice is the Samsung Galaxy S8, and with good reason. It is almost universally accepted to be a damn fine smartphone, and as a result, you might expect sales to have been exceptional. According to a new report, however, that may not be the case.

The report in question comes from The Korean Herald, which places sales of the Galaxy S8 at around 20% lower than those for the device’s predecessor, the Galaxy S7. That would be particularly bad news for Samsung at a time where it is still recovering from what many saw as a defining moment in the company’s history after it was forced to recall the Galaxy Note 7 not just once, but twice. Coupled with legal issues surrounding those at the very top of the company, things haven’t been great for Samsung.

If this new report is right, things could be better now, too.

“Samsung is not revealing sales figures possibly due to slowing sales,” a local analyst was quoted as saying in the report. “We assume the S8 is selling less than the S7.”

The report said Samsung also reduced supply orders for some parts, citing an unnamed industry source.

Reasons for the slower sales could be plenty, with many suggesting that increased competition and the potential that customers are waiting to see what the iPhone 8 has to offer are the main explanations. However, Samsung has its own thoughts on the matter, saying that the way the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S7 devices were initially made available for sale means their numbers are not comparable.

A Samsung official refused to compare the S8 and S7 directly, saying that the S8 started selling in three key markets first unlike the S7 that sold globally immediately. “We estimate S8’s sales volume to be similar to that of S7 for now,” the official added.